1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a lottery game and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for playing a lottery game that incorporates player direction in determining the outcome of the game.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many different types of lottery games and many different forms of state-run and nationally-run lotteries that are conducted. Within a traditional lottery, in exchange for a comparatively small wager, typically one dollar, a customer can select lottery numbers and purchase a lottery ticket having a chance to win a jackpot or other prize. Although the number of lottery tickets sold to customers may ultimately determine an amount of a jackpot, players currently only have limited ways in which to directly influence a game""s outcome or their likelihood of winning during any one particular contest. Additionally, organizations offering traditional lottery games typically execute drawings once or twice per week. This infrequency of opportunity can sometimes lead to a lapse in lottery ticket sales, particularly during extended times when jackpots fail to exceed certain thresholds, and consequently do not motivate sales among people who typically would not play.
Another type of lottery game is the instant ticket or xe2x80x9cscratch-offxe2x80x9d game by which players may receive payouts immediately. This style of lottery game typically involves a purchase of a paper or cardboard game card. In most cases, a player, to reveal combinations of symbols or values, actively uncovers or exposes a portion, selection, or element of the game card concealed by a latex covering or other removable concealer. Certain combinations of symbols or values correspond to prizes, which may be paid out to a player at any participating lottery merchant. Although such game cards offer increased accessibility to games of chance, players currently have only limited means for actively affecting the eventual outcome associated with any particular card. In many instances, players feel that the outcomes associated with scratch-off games are xe2x80x9cfixedxe2x80x9d or purposely designed to result in an unfavorable outcome, and therefore, that pure luck makes the only difference between winning and losing. As a result, would-be players often abstain from participation in such lottery games. In addition, many players view the act of playing such lottery games as a passive and boring experience. In fact, the vast majority of scratch-off games currently at market require only that a player reveal one generally designated play area of the ticket. Simply purchasing a card, and revealing a predetermined outcome does not appeal to every potential player. Thus, despite the state-of-the-art in lottery games, there remains a need to provide a scratch-off type lottery game and ticket that allows a player to direct the outcome of the lottery game and that incorporates player direction and selection into the outcome of the lottery game.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for conducting a lottery game and to provide a method and apparatus for playing a lottery game that incorporates player direction in determining the outcome of the game. Such a lottery game may be embodied, for example, as a scratch-off type lottery card, wherein a player may expose one or more elements on the card according to rules of the lottery game. In some embodiments, all of the possible combinations of playable elements on a card may be known or knowable to the player in advance or before the player begins to expose elements on the card. In other embodiments, a set of possible elements that the player may expose are known to the player before the player begins to expose elements on the card. In general, a player""s progression through a card is not predetermined, thereby providing the player an ability or flexibility to control or direct the play of the lottery game embodied by or on a card and to influence or direct the outcome of the lottery game embodied by the card.
Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention shall be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by the practice of the invention. The objects and the advantages may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and in combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a printed or electronic lottery game card includes multiple exposable elements, a first rule associated with the card indicating how at least one element on the card can be exposed, and a second rule associated with the card indicating how the card can be deemed a winning card, wherein multiple sets of exposures of elements on the card will satisfy the first rule and at least one of the sets of exposures of the elements on the card will satisfy the second rule, further wherein any of the multiple exposable elements on the card can be exposed first on the card without violating the first rule. In some embodiments of the lottery game card, each set of exposures of elements on the card that satisfy the first rule are determinable by a player prior to any exposure of any element on the card by the player. In other embodiments of the lottery game card, the card includes multiple elements, wherein each of the multiple elements on the card is linked to at least one other element on the card such that after a player exposes a first element on the card, said player may also expose a second element on the card that is linked to the first element, further wherein any exposable element on the card can be exposed first on the card by the player.
To further achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a method for conducting a lottery game includes (a) providing a signal indicative of a card including multiple exposable elements, wherein each of the multiple exposable elements on the card is linked to at least one other element on the card such that after a player exposes a first element on the card, the player may also expose a second element on said card that is linked to the first element, further wherein any exposable element on the card can be exposed first on the card by the player; (b) receiving a signal indicative of a selection of an element on the card; (c) providing a signal indicative of the card with the selected element exposed on the card; and (d) repeating the steps (b) and (c) until a game outcome is reached for the card.